Asphalt Cutters: Purchase Guide

What asphalt cutters are and what they're used for

Combustion-powered machines used to cut road surfaces, asphalt, concrete, and reinforced concrete, asphalt cutters are useful for construction companies involved in road works, construction sites, and maintenance. Generally, they consist of a steel frame with wheels that allow easy movement of the cutter, a handle to direct and guide the machine's movement, and regulators to set the cutting depth and direction. Asphalt cutters are equipped with a water tank to cool the blade during work and reduce dust formation, as well as a fuel tank for engine operation. For safe storage, concrete cutters come with blade protection.

Types of Asphalt Cutters

The following models of asphalt cutters exist:

• Push-type asphalt cutter: manual asphalt cutters, ideal for work on small surfaces.
• Self-propelled engine-powered asphalt cutter: the engine is typically a gasoline or diesel combustion engine, powerful and designed to support the cutter during prolonged and intensive work.
• Electric asphalt cutter: designed for indoor use where combustion engine cutters cannot be used. Given the size and intensive work, these are typically 400 V three-phase models.

Areas of Use

Asphalt cutters are used in the road sector for:

• Road and highway maintenance work: ideal for installing or replacing underground utilities (electrical cables, telecommunication cables, water pipes), asphalt cutters are widely used during road surface repair and maintenance work. In case of cracks or crumbling asphalt, a cutter is used to remove worn surfaces to be replaced, but also to demolish sidewalks, curbs, etc.
• Custom installations: when creating a separate area like a bike path, parking lot, or driveway, the asphalt cutter can be very useful for widening the road surface, inserting pipes, and electrical or water systems.
• Installing expansion joints, curbs, and guardrails: useful for inserting poles or anchor bases, precisely marking road edges, and adapting/modifying existing asphalt sections for barriers or new signage.

The asphalt cutter can also be used in the construction sector, particularly for concrete work (or reinforced concrete) as long as it's equipped with the correct diamond blade. The diamond blade is a special hard and abrasive blade, resistant to wear that ensures precise cuts even at depth. Useful for:

• Fresh concrete: to create contraction joints that prevent cracking due to shrinkage.
• Hardened/old concrete: for repair work, demolition, or installations.
• Work on buildings or pavements: such as floors, ramps, foundations, etc.

Using an asphalt cutter

We briefly outline some steps to make operators aware of safe asphalt cutter use.

• First, plan the intervention and the type of cut needed. Carefully choose the asphalt cutter (check its proper operation) and blade type, keeping in mind that for compact asphalt and concrete, a diamond blade is used.
• The operator should never neglect their safety, wearing personal protective equipment like goggles, helmet, gloves, and ear protection before starting the work. The work should be planned with a drawing and by marking the surface to be cut, typically with construction chalk.
• When executing the cut, position the cutter at the start of the marked line and start it gently. The recommendation is to begin with a shallow first cut, which will serve as a guide for subsequent passes. Then proceed gradually with deeper cuts, following the marked line.
• This approach prevents blade overheating, allowing for more precise work. After completing the cut, clean the area by removing dust and debris.